Review of Outback Steakhouse - Kennesaw

I chose the Bronzed Chicken with Corn Cakes - bronzed chicken breast served with grilled corn cakes, topped with shrimp and mushrooms in a vermouth cream sauce. I had never heard of bronzing except as something you do to preserve an object, and as a hilarious joke on a T.V. show called "Tom Goes to the Mayor."

It turns out that it is similar to blackening, which was invented by Paul Prudhomme. Bronzing was invented by his friend and fellow New Orleans chef, Frank Davis, who writes that "bronzing differed from blackening in so much as a Teflon skillet was used to replace the cast iron skillet, the dipping vat of liquid butter was replaced by a tablespoon of margarine, and the cayenne in the seasoning spice was toned down by about half (I was intent on creating a lighter alternative to a great technique).

"Later, of course, after months of prodding by my radio listeners and TV fans, I bottled my Bronzing Mix seasoning formula, which is now my Number One best selling spice, and which has now become one of New Orleans' most common all-purpose seasonings." Wow! I learned about a new flavoring technique just by eating at Outback. How provincial am I!?

Anyway, with my delightful New Orleans-inspired meal I drank Miller Lite, which was served very cold. I like the warm brown bread Outback serves before the meal. It's very similar to the breadsticks we offered when I worked at Ruby Tuesday, but I like the flavor of Outback's bread more. It's delicious with the sweet butter it comes with.

My entree was excellent. The cream sauce was very flavorful and went well with all of the components of the dish. Chicken and Corn Cakes together are reminiscent of a family reunion or church potluck where you eat fried chicken and cornbread, and this higher-end twist turns out to be a great success. The corn cakes were just as large as the chicken breast! Unfortunately, our server informed me that this item is going to be taken off the menu. I hope they replace it with something just as good.

My companion got the Melbourne, a 20 oz. porterhouse steak that came with Outback's signature fries. He drank Bass and coke. Before the entree, he also ate a caesar salad. He asked for the steak to be cooked medium, and it was perfect. His only complaint was that there was a good bit of gristle on the edges, but overall he really enjoyed his dinner. The caesar salads there are consistently good with fresh lettuce and a nice balance of ingredients.

For dessert, I shared cheesecake with chocolate topping with my fiance. The cheesecake had a perfect creamy texture with a golden edge on the exterior. We wished that we had ordered two slices instead of sharing, even though it was a generous slice. A convenient alternative place to get decent cheesecake is in the Publix Bakery. It's almost as good as Outback's.

Our server was a pleasant young woman who got everything right. She took a little while to return when we ordered beer a couple of times, but she said that it was the bartender's fault. It was only a couple of minutes delay, no big deal. Overall, the service was really good. Outback's atmosphere is always the same, and I always like it. As an Australophile, I enjoy seeing all of the aboriginal artwork and photographs, along with stuffed kangaroos and boomerangs. The music is hard to hear with all of the talking, but they play an interesting selection of '80s, '90s, and recent music.

I think that Outback is a good deal. My fiance and I often visit Outback and never feel that we spend too much for the quality of food we get. We were disappointed to find out that our usual branch on Delk Road closed down, but we had been to the Kennesaw location several times, so that will be our new destination. Weekend nights are outrageously crowded at all restaurants along Barrett Parkway, but we were able to get a booth at the bar right away after being told that we would have to wait 30 minutes.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best), how would you rate this restaurant compared to the other restaurants you visit on a regular basis. 8

This restaurant is best for (Choose all that apply)• Good food • Quick bite • Family-friendly• Outdoor • Romantic • Special occasion

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